


Inattention

by Soleera



Series: Āctiōnēs secundum fideī [2]
Category: 2770 ab urbe condita - Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ancient Rome, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Slavery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:28:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26803645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soleera/pseuds/Soleera
Summary: Cinna and Aurelia should have paid attention to their surroundings, but they just didn't expect people to be that rude. And all things considered, it's actually Publius fault.
Series: Āctiōnēs secundum fideī [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1938643
Comments: 5
Kudos: 12
Collections: 2770 ab urbe condita - the collected fiction





	Inattention

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mossgreen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mossgreen/gifts).



Inattention

The summer had been hot from the start and the nearly unbearable heat hadn’t lessened over the past few weeks. No wonder that most people – or at least the citizens who could afford it and had the time – left the city as soon as they could.

Aurelia had two different opinions on this. For one: Yes it was hot and she didn’t appreciate the stuffy air or the burning sun, nor was she particularly happy about the fact that nearly every movement let her break out in a sweat.

On the other hand, though…

Her grandmother had left the city and would be away for at least another month. Weeks and weeks without too many questions – _Where have you been and with whom?_ \- Annoying commentaries about her job – _Couldn’t you do something more appropriate for a young woman?_ \- Her way of life – _You should really take some of these invitations to the social gatherings, dear_ \- and, of course, some of her hobbies – _Why do you spend so much time with these computers? Surely you’ve learned everything about these by now._

There were no complaints about her acquaintances, though: Aufidia Gracia hadn’t been overjoyed then she heard that her only grandchild preferred to be friends with a freedwoman, who was a Plebeian through marriage. Until she met Cinna. Then she declared that the līberta was a prime example of for proper Roman matron.

And of course, Aurelia’s grandmother would have jumped in pure excitement - if she still could - as her rather quiet and slightly odd granddaughter brought a young patrician man to their house, who was not only from a very rich but also a very notable and old family. 

Aurelia was sure her gran drank a whole jug of Falernian the day the betrothal contract between the Neratii and the Varii was signed.

Sadly, Publius had to go to India, only two or three months after the signing of the contract so all preparation for the wedding was on hold. Aurelia wasn’t one to complain, since she didn’t look forward to the wedding proceedings itself. Far too stiff and too many traditions if you asked her.

But, until then and especially right now, she could take a breath from the most oppressing things around her and do what she wanted. Or, she was inclined to do so, because a hot summer day on the Forum Traiani with lots of people around wasn’t really fun. It couldn’t be helped though, since Aurelia managed to break one of her spindle whorls – and of course, it was one of the whorls that had been in the family for ages. She didn’t try to think about the moment when she had to bring the news to her grandmother, who would be rather displeased about the loss of the thing.

Maybe she could rob Cinna into helping her survive that particular conversation.

Thinking of her friend, Aurelia shot a look over her shoulder. Talia, Aurelia’s maid, was the appropriate three paces behind her mistress, gaze lowered, but not so much, that she would lose sight of her owner. Cinna walked right next to the young slave, head lowered, reading something on her phone and only looking up once in a while.

Aurelia just shook her head. If Cinna kept that up, she would walk into somebody. Hopefully, Talia would prevent it. Her girl was maybe shy and still a little bit skittish, but she was a very smart thing. Aurelia was rather pleased with herself that she found her, two years ago, on a slave market nonetheless.  
The young patrician focussed on her original goal while she tried to evade the other people: Finding an adequate replacement for her destroyed spindle whorl.

Who made such things out of glass, anyway? And honestly, why were this many people here, in the middle of the day? Didn’t they have jobs and homes to tend to?

While she still puzzled over that question as she rounded another citizen, who blocked her path. The woman was clearly occupied with her handbag and didn’t give a damn that everybody had to walk around her. Aurelia scrunched her nose. People nowadays.

She only managed to take a few steps away from the inattentive woman, when she heard the clearly angry yell right behind her.

“Impudent slave!”

_Uh-oh_ , she thought, when she turned around, fully expecting somebody slapping his servant.

She blinked in confusion when she saw the woman who she had to round just moments ago, starring at Cinna and Talia, seething with anger and pointing an accusing finger at the two. Talia actually tried to hide behind Cinna’s back and so Aurelia assumed, that the citizen thought that her girl had done something wrong.

Aurelia found that hard to believe, but one could never know what other people found as appropriate behaviour in slaves, so maybe Talia had made a mistake, even if it was unknowingly. Not liking the fact that she could only assume what exactly riled the woman if she stayed away, Aurelia decided to go back and sort it out. Talia was her responsibility after all.

“Is there a problem?” she asked and the angry woman immediately faced her.

Her eyes swept very clearly over Aurelia’s ankle-length and richly embroidered cerulean-blue tunic, the ribbons with the interwoven silver that belted the garment and the artfully draped light-blue palla before she gave an insulted sniff.

“I’m assuming _this_ ”, she indicated with one hand in the direction of Talia, who was still hiding behind Cinna “is yours.”

Aurelia gave her a sweet and pacifying smile “Yes. May I ask what brought your anger on?”

“Your slave ran into me. Such insolence! You should punish her this instant. A good whipping right here and now will hopefully teach her to pay attention!”

Aurelia blinked in confusion and looked at Talia. The girl had gone nearly chalk-white as she heard the word 'whipping' and did shake her head so violently, that Aurelia feared it could fall off.

“Now” she tried while making soothing noises. “That sounds a little bit harsh. The girl is young, one could argue she is still a child. A whipping would surely mark her skin and I’m not really inclined to do more to her when a good paddling. _If_ she did something wrong.”

“Are you accusing me of lying?” the woman snapped before she shot another look in the direction of Talia and added: “And what do you mean with ‘mark her skin’? As far as I can see, she already has more than one on her arms. What will do some more?”

Aurelia looked at her bewildered and thought: _Wait, what?_

Only then it occurred to her that this woman wasn’t accusing _Talia_ of misbehaviour.

Aurelia changed a quick look with Cinna who looked equally baffled. Both friends risked a quick stare on Cinna’s clothes. Her sand-coloured tunic and the forest-green stola were not as richly adorned as Aurelia’s, but still from obviously fine quality, finer than the tunic and stola that the older woman had on her own person.

“I’m wearing a stola and a wedding band, Madam. I’m a free and married woman like you. And slaves can’t marry. You _are_ aware of this, aren’t you?” Cinna answered with a calm voice, but Aurelia could hear that her friend was already offended by the assumptions of the other citizen.

“Slaves nowadays wear whatever they are given. Maybe your mistress thinks it’s funny to dress you up like a free citizen, but with these scars, you fool no one and surely, not me. I saw that you walked three paces behind your mistress, looking down” the woman ranted and Cinna sighed audible, clearly trying to be patient.

“I was checking a message on my phone. And _you_ ran into me!”

“I did not! And I demand that you act according to your status!”

Aurelia looked at the woman, completely dumbfounded. Was she really that thick? Ignorant? Or could she just not admit that she made a mistake? It was obvious that Cinna was from a wealthier household than these… woman!

_That’s ridiculous_ , Aurelia thought.

“She isn’t my slave”, she said, her anger beginning to show. “Nor of anybody else. She is a married woman and has far more decorum than you, I might say, Madam. That girl is mine.”

She pointed at Talia, who, now that it was clear the horrible woman wasn’t angry at her, had emerged from her hiding position and inched immediately closer to Aurelia’s side.

The woman only gave a sniff before declaring: “I don’t believe you. I want that this slave, that you say isn’t one, puts her finger on a scanner to proof it.”

Cinna angrily draw her eyebrows together, but then she just shook her head. Aurelia knew that her friend thought it beneath herself to deal with such… ignorant people.

_But I’m not her_ , Aurelia thought heatedly and squared her shoulders.

“I personally can attest to the fact that my friend looked at her phone since we arrived here. And she only kept behind me, because she already run into me twice today and tried to avoid it happening for the third time, which I’m rather thankful for, I can assure you. So could you please drop your ridiculous statements and demands and apologize to my friend? Or should I assume, that you are incorrigible and unable to admit to making a mistake?” she asked icily.

The woman gave her a spiteful look while Cinna sighed.

“Auri…” she said, but Aurelia just cut her off.

“No, Cinna”, she declared, raising her voice while she spoke. “I demand satisfaction for the offered insult. Either in word or deed!”

Some people around them began to walk slower and shot interested and slightly confused stares at the small group. The woman meanwhile blinked at Aurelia and now it was her turn to look bewildered. Cinna just shook her head.

“Uhm… what?” the woman asked and got a disdainful look from the patrician in front her.

“You”, Aurelia emphasized “insulted my friend, who was just walking behind me. A free woman, a Roman matron, whose only fault is, that she kept reading while walking. And you accuse her of what? Walking into you, even if there is the possibility that you are at fault for this? And then you call her a slave, based on the evidence of what? Scars on her arms? Did you even think about how she got them? What hardship could have led to this? No Neratii would stand for such injustice. My honour and the honour of my sacred ancestors demands…”

“Just apologize” Cinna interrupted and looked with something akin to pity at the suddenly very silent older woman. “It only gets worse.”

A peek at the onlookers revealed that some of them seemed to hope that it _would_ get worse.

The formerly rather angrily and now intimidated woman seemed to have come to that conclusion, too and considering the way she was eyeing the still seething Aurelia up and down revealed that she feared that the younger woman could cause an even greater scene.

“I apologize for the insult”, the woman said – begrudgingly - to Cinna, who had adopted a blank face.

Aurelia knew her friend was hiding a laugh behind that mask, but that wasn't her concern right now. She wasn’t done. Instead of just accepting the apology and going back to her smiling and easy-going usual self, she adopted her best You-are-just-a-dust-speck-on-the-floor-look and turned to Cinna.

“Do you find these words acceptable, Cinna?”

The former slave couldn’t hold back her amusement anymore and snorted before she said: “Yes. And now let her leave, the people are already looking.”

The older woman took the hint and left, but not without gazing back over her shoulder. It seemed a little bit like she hadn’t expected to be spoken to like this. Aurelia scrunched her nose. People nowadays. No manners at all.

She looked, rather pleased with herself, at Cinna, who leaned in her direction and whispered dryly but with clear amusement in her eyes: “Really, Auri? ‘The honour of my sacred ancestors demands’?! What’s gotten into you?”

Aurelia shrugged.

“I always wanted to play the part of the spoiled patrician girl, who didn’t give a damn about being nice and acted childish whenever she could get away with it”, she explained.

“Considering that you _are_ a spoiled patrician girl, I hope you just meant the unbearable attitude. And the high-and-mighty-look? Have you learned that from your gran?”

Aurelia gave her a sunny smile. “Actually, I adopted it from my future father-in-law. Really, the man must have invented it, because he brought it to perfection.”

Cinna just massaged the bridge of her nose and murmured: “Juno, give me strength for the day when Publius and you have children of your own. They will be a terror to the whole city.”

“They will be perfectly well-behaved”, Aurelia assured her, while not an ounce of doubt coloured her words.

Then she gazed at the people around them. Most of them had moved on since the show they were expecting wasn’t unfolding. The few which stayed got a warning look from Cinna and were smart enough to get the hint and moved along, too. Aurelia patted Talia’s head affectionately, who luckily looked now like her usual self, and linked her arm with Cinna.

“It's better we avoid more incidents. Whatever or whoever is trying to occupy your time can’t be worth more run-ins like this. Also, I still need these spindle whorl”, she said, friendly expression back in place and as cheery as ever.

Cinna rolled her eyes but allowed Aurelia to drag her along, while Talia followed them as a silent shadow. They made their way through the throng of people silently and only started speaking again when Aurelia finally found what she was looking for.

“How do you broke the first one?” Cinna asked, as the younger woman handed her purchase to Talia, who put it carefully in her satchel.

“I was frustrated” Aurelia grumbled and as Cinna shoot her a puzzled look she elaborated: “Publius had a lot of work the last days and so we couldn’t talk to each other. And since you and me both have some days off, I thought I didn’t disturb you and your family. Sadly, that left me with too much time in my hands and since I decided to not look on a screen of any device for once I picked up my spindle. Normally I find this quite relaxing, but then the yarn ripped four times in a row. The last drop-down finally broke the damn whorl.”

“Hm” Cinna answered and checked her phone again.

Aurelia started to wonder about that habit. Normally Cinna wasn’t glued to the thing. But then again, her friend had a lot of responsibilities, even if she wasn’t at work. She had her own household to manage, two little children, aged seven and two-and-a-half, her husband, her father-in-law… Maybe she was in the middle of planning something.

But then, it had been Cinna who asked her to go shopping and Aurelia had readily agreed. Now though, she was wondering since her friend hadn't bought more than some plain ribbons.

_Now, either I’m paranoid or something is suspicious_ , Aurelia thought and chastised herself that she hadn’t caught on earlier.

“Was there a reason why you wanted to go shopping today?”

Cinna looked at her surprised.

“No”, she answered. “Just wanted out of the house, because Gracia is already getting on my nerves. She wants a list of possible meals for Saturnalia already. I will cook them, of course, but she will make most of the preparations. I just thought you could accompany me.”

“Saturnalia is months away!” Aurelia exclaimed.

Cinna smiled and nodded. “I know, right? But she likes to be ahead in the planning. By the way, do you want to come over for cēna tomorrow? I think you haven’t seen Titus and the boys in ages.”

Aurelia gave her friend a curious look and finally agreed to come over for dinner the next day.

_Seems I’m really going paranoid_ , she thought, as she said her goodbyes to Cinna before she and Talia made their way from the Forum Traiani to the big houses on the Caelian Hill.

She still tried to puzzle out, why she thought Cinna was hiding something from her and lured her out of her own house – well, the house of her grandmother – as she stepped through the door into the cool and marble-clad interior of the domus.

She gave the Ostiārius a smile, who greeted her with a bow and a small smile of his own. That was normal. Abnormal was the slave standing in attendance in the atrium, at least then her grandmother wasn’t in the city. The old woman had taken some of the household staff with her and Aurelia was fine with it. She didn’t need that many servants.

But the slave before her wasn’t belonging to this house.

“Ufa?” she asked confused, while she tried to figure out, what the personal slave of her betrothed wanted in her home.

The tall and dark-skinned man, who had been a tutor and aide to Publius since he was a teenager, gave her a respectful bow and said: “Domina.”

Her brain provided her finally with the information what Ufa’s presence meant and Aurelia stormed into the atrium with a yelp of pure delight. Forgetting all her manners and decorum she jumped in Publius arms – literally since she wound her legs around his midsection and her arms around his shoulders. He staggered slightly before he could balance the sudden and additional weight on his person, while Aurelia wasted no time and kissed him.

“Surprised?” he managed to ask with a grin as she broke the kiss.

Aurelia eyed him for a second before she gave him a slap on the shoulder.

“You sodding liar! You said you had so much work, but apparently, you were already on a flight back home! Why haven't you told me?”

“Because, oh beautiful one, I requested leave for five days two months ago, knowing your gran would be away from the city and you had some free days scheduled. But my commanding officers gave me the clearance just last week. Besides, it wouldn’t have been a surprise if you had known, right?” he explained and lifted an eyebrow when he saw her crestfallen face.

“You are only here for five days?” she asked and got a sigh as an answer.

“Three days actually, since I already needed one to come here and need another to go back. But three days are more than none. And as far as I know, we already have an invitation for cēna tomorrow, although, after all what happened already today, I get the feeling I should invite Cinna and not the other way around.”

Aurelia gave him another slap on the shoulder.

“So, Cinna _was_ hiding something from me, I knew it! And she texted _you_ the whole time while we were shopping. Now I’m not so sorry about the run-in with this horrible woman.”

“Peace, Auri. We both know you don’t mean that”, Publius soothed her, laughing about her mock anger while kissing her temple.

Aurelia just grumbled but was inclined to forgive him for his little scheme. After all, it seemed that her next three days wouldn’t be boring at all. Maybe she should thank Cinna tomorrow. Until then, though…

“Do plan to stay in your clothes today?” she asked and Publius gave her a grin as an answer.

“No, not really.”

**Author's Note:**

> domus – townhouse
> 
> cēna – dinner
> 
> ostiārius – doorman, doorkeeper
> 
> Forum Traiani – Trajan’s forum, the last of the Imperial fora, constructed between 105/107 AD to 113 AD (when the Trajan’s Column was erected)
> 
> līberta - freedwoman


End file.
